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| Sylvanus Dungdung |
Ranchi, March 9: Trained coaches of National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, including two former Olympians, issued the threat of mass protests, if their grievances related to “salary and service conditions” were not addressed by the state government.
Sixteen disgruntled coaches across disciplines, including former hockey Olympians Sylvanus Dungdung and Manohar Topno, held a meeting today under the banner of Jharkhand Employee NIS Coaches Association. The 14 other signatories to today’s proceedings included Jagan Topno, Pratima Barwa and Bibiani Kongari (hockey); Rakesh Kumar Singh, Anand Prakash Kujur and Yogesh Prasad Yadav (athletics); Bina Kerketta, Dharmendra Singh, Nidhi, Anglus Tirkey and Ajay Subhas Tirkey (football); Harendra Singh (archery) and Bharat Kumar Shah (badminton).
Currently, the state department of art, youth affairs and sports runs 28 residential and 194 day sports training hubs as a pilot project, in which 16 trained coaches are appointed in as many residential sports hubs in 2004 on a fixed monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000. “This amount is too little in the light of inflation. It is also not commensurate with our status, qualification and experience,” the coaches said in unison.
They added despite creation of 25 posts for trained coaches, no one had been appointed on a regular scale in the past 11 years.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) pays between Rs 1,640 to 2900 (as per the Fourth Pay Commission) and the Bihar government pays between Rs 5,500 to Rs 9,000 (as per the Fifth Pay Commission) to coaches, they said.
Had the state coaches been appointed on a regular basis, then the state government could have used their services and expertise to act as district sports officers too, they added.
The coaches also demanded the setting up of sports cradles in Jharkhand and appointment of NIS-trained coaches and former Olympians in them. “If our demands are not met, we will be forced to launch a phase-wise agitation, which may lead to mass resignation,” said a coach.
